TOP STORIES
The Justice Department on Friday disclosed an Iranian murder-for-hire plot to kill Donald Trump, charging a man who said he had been tasked by a government official before this week’s election with planning the assassination of the Republican president-elect. Investigators were told of the plan to kill Trump by Farhad Shakeri, an accused Iranian government asset who spent time in American prisons for robbery and who authorities say maintains a network of criminal associates enlisted by Tehran for surveillance and murder-for-hire plots. Shakeri told the FBI that a contact in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard instructed him this past September to set aside other work he was doing and assemble a plan within seven days to surveil and ultimately kill Trump, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court in Manhattan.
New Corruption Allegations Portray Khamenei’s Son As Best For Succession | Iran International
Revelations of major high-level corruption by a former lawmaker have shaken Iran’s political landscape, with many viewing the exposure as a tactic to bolster Mojtaba Khamenei’s candidacy to succeed his father as Supreme Leader. The release of a 2.5-hour interview in which Abbas Palizdar discusses a 54,000-page document detailing corruption cases involving 52 senior officials and their inner circles has sent shockwaves through Iran’s political sphere, sparking numerous questions about possible motives. The selective nature of these revelations that mainly target officials who are no longer alive or relevant, coupled with the timing of their release, suggests a calculated strategy rather than a genuine commitment to fighting corruption.
Trump Expected To Name Marco Rubio As Secretary Of State | The New York Times
President-elect Donald J. Trump is expected to name Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as his secretary of state, three people familiar with his thinking said on Monday, as Mr. Trump moves rapidly to fill out his foreign policy and national security team. Mr. Trump could still change his mind at the last minute, the people said, but appeared to have settled on Mr. Rubio, whom he also considered when choosing his running mate this year. Mr. Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010, and has staked out a position as a foreign policy hawk, taking hard lines on China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba in particular. He initially found himself at odds with those Republicans who were more skeptical about interventions abroad, but he has also echoed Mr. Trump more recently on issues like Russia’s war against Ukraine, saying that the conflict has reached a stalemate and “needs to be brought to a conclusion.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Trump Picks Iran, Israel Hawk Mike Waltz As His National Security Adviser | Jewish Insider
President-elect Donald Trump named Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) as his next national security adviser, adding another Israel and Iran hawk, who generally takes traditional conservative views on foreign policy to his national security team. Waltz has been deeply involved with foreign policy and national security issues on the Hill and before his time in elected office: he’s a Green Beret, former policy official at the Pentagon, ex-CEO of a defense contracting company, subcommittee chair on the House Armed Services Committee and member of the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees. And he’s been a stalwart supporter of Israel… Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, called Waltz “an excellent choice, having been a strong proponent of maximum pressure on #Iran and a co-sponsor of the #MAHSAAct.”
'Very Serious': Israel's Blows Against Iran Expose Infiltration | RFI
A spate of recent intelligence successes by Israel against Iran and its allies have underlined the extent of Israel's infiltration of the establishment in Iran, causing major anxiety for its leadership, analysts say. It remains a closely guarded secret how, and how deeply, Israel has infiltrated Iran's administration and security apparatus... "There is tremendous dissatisfaction in Iran with the current leadership and that makes recruitment opportunities for foreign intelligence agencies like Mossad," said Jason Brodsky, policy director of the US-based United Against Nuclear Iran.
Trump Vs The Dark Fleet: Can The US Choke Off Iran’s Oil Exports? | Llloyd’s List
Donald Trump is expected to resume his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran when he returns to office in January, but attempts to choke the Islamic Republic’s oil exports would be complicated by sophisticated networks and a dark fleet* adept at skirting US prohibitions... According to data from tanker trackers at US advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, Tehran is exporting about 1.6m barrels per day of crude and condensate so far this year, compared with about 660,000 bpd during the first 12 months, after sanctions waivers expired in the spring of 2019. In comparison, Iran exported about 2.5m bpd of crude and condensates in 2017, data from commodities and analytics provider Vortexa showed.
Trump’s Planned UN Envoy Elise Stefanik Favours ‘Maximum Pressure On Iran’ | The Jewish Chronicle
President-elect Donald Trump has offered Rep. Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference, the role of US ambassador to the United Nations in his upcoming administration, CNN reported... Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, wrote that the congresswoman, who is "a big proponent of maximum pressure on Iran's regime," would be "an excellent UN ambassador."
Trump Nominates Stefanik For UN Envoy Role | Jewish News Syndicate
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chair of the House Republican Conference, to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in his upcoming administration... Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, wrote that the congresswoman, who is “a big proponent of maximum pressure on Iran’s regime,” will be “an excellent U.N. ambassador.
Iran: Trump Assassination Claim ‘Totally Unfounded’ | i24 News
UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky joined i24 News to discuss the IRGC terrorists plot to kill President-elect Trump, Alinejad Masih, and two Jewish-Americans in New York. They also discussed why Iran’s regime fears the return of President Trump.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Israel Says Iran’s Nuclear Sites Are Now More Vulnerable Than Ever | Iran International
Israel’s new defense minister said Monday the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic are now more vulnerable than ever, following Israel’s October 26 airstrikes which targeted Iran’s key air defense systems. The Israeli air raids last month knocked out Iran's last three Russian-provided S-300 air defense missile systems, Fox News reported on October 30 citing US and Israeli officials. The surface-to-air S-300s were the last in the Islamic Republic's arsenal after one was destroyed in an attack in April also likely carried out by Israel. “Iran today is more exposed than ever to damage to its nuclear facilities," Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Sunday he will travel to Iran in the coming days to hold talks regarding the country’s nuclear program.The visit comes amid wider tensions gripping the Mideast over the Israel-Hamas warand uncertainty over how U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will approach Iran after his inauguration in January. Specifically, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mariano Grossi, will have high level meetings with the Iranian government and will hold technical discussions on all aspects related to the joint statement agreed with Iran in March 2023. It is intended as a path forward for cooperation between the IAEA and Iran on how to expand inspections of the Islamic Republic’s rapidly advancing atomic program.
New Israeli FM Urges Joint Israel-US Effort To Curb Iran’s Nukes | Iran International
In his first press conference since taking over as Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar told reporters the country’s first priority is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. "The most important issue for the future of this region and the security of the State of Israel is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” he said on Monday. As news of the incoming Donald Trump administration was still fresh, he told reporters: “I am sure that we can work together with the US to stabilize the region and to secure its future. Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran will pose a danger not only to Israel but also to other countries in the region.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran, Russia Link Bank Card Systems In Latest Move To Overcome Sanctions | Barron’s
Iranian bank cards can now be used in Russia, state television reported, as the two countries linked their banking systems in the latest bid to counteract sanctions. Iranian banks have been excluded since 2018 from the SWIFT international financial messaging service, which governs the vast majority of transactions worldwide. The move is part of a raft of sanctions that were re-imposed on Iran after the United States withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Iranian bank cards can now be used in Russia, state television channel IRINN said on Monday, showing the withdrawal of money using an Iranian bank card from an ATM in Russia. The operation was made possible by connecting Iran's interbank network Shetab to its Russian equivalent Mir, the channel said.
Power Outages Begin In Iran Due To Fuel Shortage | Iran International
In response to a deepening energy crisis, electricity distribution companies in Tehran and other provinces announced rolling blackouts for residential and commercial areas starting Sunday. The outages, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., are part of a government strategy to conserve fuel and reduce reliance on mazut, a pollutant-heavy oil, as power plants struggle to meet demand. Although initial plans aimed to limit blackouts to certain provinces, the inclusion of Tehran province highlights the growing urgency of the situation. The new plan does not affect the capital itself but will result in power outages in surrounding cities and towns.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Aware Of Reports About Iranian-American Journalist's Arrest, Ministry Says | Reuters
Iran's foreign ministry is aware of reports about the arrest of Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh in Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a U.S. government-funded broadcaster, was believed to have been detained by Iran for some months. "We are aware of reports regarding the arrest of one Iranian national, he is an Iranian national and I do not have information on his second citizenship. We are in contact with relevant institutions to follow up on the case," Baghaei said when asked about Valizadeh in a press conference.
Masih Alinejad told The Associated Press in an interview that she felt more determination than ever before to continue fighting for women’s rights in Iran despite the shock of the plot.
Iranian Jewish Community ‘Totally Shocked’ By Arvin Ghahramani’s Execution | Jewish News Syndicate
Jewish groups mourned the death of Arvin Ghahramani after the news emerged earlier this month that the Iranian regime executed the 20-year-old Jew, whom it accused of murder after he killed a man in self-defense. Rosa Parto, a freelance Iranian Jewish reporter in Amsterdam who was among the first Persian-language journalists to break the Ghahramani story earlier this year, told JNS that the Jewish community in Iran is “totally shocked at this sudden execution of Arvin.”
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state and has asked Rep. Mike Waltz, a Green Beret veteran, to be his White House national security adviser, according to people familiar with his thinking. Trump could change his mind on the Rubio move, as he remains fond of others lobbying for the secretary of state role. But people familiar with the Rubio decision said that Trump feels good about going with him, who Trump had considered for the vice president slot before settling on Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
US Justice Department Files Charges Over Alleged Iranian Plot To Kill Trump | The Guardian
The US justice department is bringing criminal charges over an Iranian plot to kill the president-elect, Donald Trump, that was thwarted by the FBI, the government said. The federal government has unsealed criminal charges in what the justice department said was a murder-for-hire plan to take out Trump before this week’s presidential election, which he won decisively over his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan alleges that an unnamed official in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards instructed a contact this past September to put together a plan to surveil and ultimately kill Trump.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iranian Capital Builds ‘Defensive Tunnel’ After Israeli Strikes | Reuters
Iran is building a "defensive tunnel" in the capital Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday, following strikes by Israel on targets in the country. The tunnel, located near the city centre, will link a station on the Tehran metro to the Imam Khomeini hospital, thus allowing direct underground access to the medical facility. "For the first time in the country, a tunnel with defensive applications is being built in Tehran," the head of transport for Tehran City Council told Tasnim. Last month, Israel carried out its first officially-recognised strikes in Iran, hitting missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in the country's west, as a response to Iran's Oct.1 attack on Israeli territory.
Iran’s Official Warns Of Population Growth Hitting Zero | Iran International
Iran's population looks set to halve by the end of the century as birth rates continue to fall in spite of efforts by the government to incentivize larger families. Addressing rapid demographic shifts, Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi warned on Sunday that declining birth rates could lead to a significantly smaller, aging population, with projections indicating a sharp decline. By 2101, the population could shrink by as much as 50%, with nearly half of the country potentially classified as elderly. Raisi said that Iran has experienced one of the world’s fastest fertility declines, dropping from an average of six children per family to fewer than three within just a decade. If the trend continues, he explained, the country’s total population could decrease to around 42 million by the end of the century—a drastic change from the current level, which is over 87 million.
Second Iranian Teen Suicide In A Week After School Clash Over Appearance | Iran International
A female teenage student in southern Iran died by suicide after facing violence and threats from her school principal, a teacher's union said, marking the second such incident in a week. Aynaz Karimi was under intense pressure for "failing to observe decorum" for wearing nail polish and dyeing her hair, according to the Coordination Council of Iranian Educators' Trade Associations, leading to her eventual expulsion. "Kazeroon’s Education Department and its officials, instead of defending students' rights, have remained silent, choosing to protect their own positions and status," the teacher's union said in a statement, referring to the town in Fars province.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Where Asia Meets Europe, Allies Become Rivals In A Tangle Of Interests | The New York Times
Russia’s domestic intelligence agency patrols the meandering river, alongside cameras, watchtowers and three rows of barbed-wire fencing. But Russia itself is almost 200 miles away. And by January, the Russian officers will start leaving. This is the border between Iran and Armenia, a 30-mile strip that is a pivot point of a head-spinning geopolitical shift. Here in the Caucasus, the mountainous region where Europe meets Asia, Russia and Iran are increasingly seen as rivals, while Western countries are — surprisingly — finding some common cause with Tehran. This complex, multicountry knot of interests and influences challenges Western conventional wisdom about alliances and could be upended yet again by the re-election of Donald J. Trump in the United States.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump “see eye to eye on the Iranian threat”.
US Carried Out Strikes Against Iranian Linked Targets In Syria | Reuters
The U.S. military said on Monday it had carried out strikes against nine targets associated with Iranian groups in Syria. In a statement, the U.S. military said the strikes were against two locations in Syria and a response to several attacks on U.S. personnel in Syria in the past 24 hours. The U.S. has occasionally carried out strikes against targets linked to Iran in both Iraq and Syria. In February, the U.S. launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and militias it backs, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
Yemen’s Houthi rebels shot down what they described as an American drone early Friday, potentially the latest downing of a U.S. spy drone as the militants continue their attacks on the Red Sea corridor. The U.S. military acknowledged the videos circulating online showing what appeared to be a flaming aircraft dropping out of the sky and a field of burning debris in what those off-camera described as an area of Yemen’s al-Jawf province. The military said it was investigating the incident, declining to elaborate further. It wasn’t immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down in the low-quality night video. The Houthis, in a later statement, claimed to have downed an American MQ-9 Reaper drone.
Saudi Armed Forces Chief Of Staff In Iran For Talks With Officials | Reuters
The chief of staff of Saudi Arabia's armed forces, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, visited Tehran on Sunday to meet with his Iranian counterpart and discuss defence ties, state media reported the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff as saying. The visit follows the election of Donald Trump, who will take office for a second term as U.S. President in January, and who has promised to bring peace to the Middle East.
Iran and Trump Are Front Of Mind At Saudi Summit | The New York Times
Leaders from across the Arab world gathered on Monday in the capital of Saudi Arabia for a summit that came at a delicate moment for the kingdom, which has signaled a rapprochement with Iran after a violent, decades-long rivalry. The meeting was officially convened to discuss the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel’s military is battling Iran-backed militant groups. It takes place amid heightened regional tensions and the prospect of a hawkish Trump administration on Iran.
IRAQ & IRAN
Iranian FM And Quds Force Do Outreach To Iraq | The Jerusalem Post
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji in Tehran on Sunday afternoon, Iranian state media said. Photos showed the men meeting. The meetings come as photos circulated online showing Quds Force head Ismail Qaani meeting with Araji in Tehran as well. This is a major development, illustrating how Iran is seeking greater inroads in Iraq, both via the IRGC and through diplomatic channels.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
The Iranian Ministry of Interior has announced plans to intensify the deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants by the end of the year, with an official calling it one of the ministry’s key objectives. Nader Yar-Ahmadi, head of the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants’ Affairs at the Interior Ministry, emphasised the urgency of the policy, stating, “One of the most important policies of the Iranian Interior Ministry is the deportation of undocumented Afghans by the end of this year.” The statement, reported by IRIB on November 8, highlights the ministry’s focus on managing undocumented migration from Afghanistan.
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
In response to the report on terror alerts against Israelis in Thailand, the Mossad and National Security Council say in a statement: “Over recent months, Israeli security services in cooperation with Thai security have acted to thwart several incidents” in the country. “Since Oct. 7 and the war [in Gaza] Iran and its proxies have intensified their efforts to harm Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.” The National Security Council says that it has not changed its threat level in Thailand at this time but calls on Israelis to remain alert; avoid outwardly displaying Israeli or Jewish identity; avoid large-scale events known to be associated with Israelis; avoid publishing their travel plans in advance on social media; and contact local security regarding any suspicions of hostile action targeting Israelis or Jews.